MISCELLANEOUS USES. lo 



PREPABATION OF BROME GRASS MEADOWS FOR OTHER CROPS. 



The biTakin<>- up of a broine-<2:rass meado\Y aiul tho prcparat'u)ii for 

 otluT cToi)s is a very iiiiportanl matter. It has been found at the 

 Manitoba experimental farm that plo\vin<>- the sod after a erop of hay 

 has been cut and the aftermath has made a urowth of ;' or 4 inches 

 irives A'erv satisfactory resuUs. Tlie ph)\vin<j;' niav be done the hilter 

 part of June or the first of July and the sod baek-set either in the 

 fall or early in the spring- and put in eonilition for wheat or other 

 grains by diskini>' and harrowing. If the afternn»th is allowi'd to 

 irrow to the e.xtent al)ove indicated, it assists very materially in rotting 

 the sod and also supplies additional humus, "When the breaking is 

 done immediately after a crop of hay or seed is harvested, the sod does 

 not rot well, especially if the season is dry. and conse(|uently the 

 ground is in i)0()r condition for a crop the following spring. 



A method which has been found to be i)raclicable, at least in the 

 eastern jjorticm of the Dakotas, is to break early in the spring after 

 the grass gets a good start, then disk and roll thoroughly, and in June 

 sow to flax at the rate of about half a bushel to the acre. In this case, 

 unless the flax nudces a good stand there will b;' some danger of the 

 brome-gra.ss making a suflicient growth to l)ecome troublesome. 

 Where flax is a successful ci-op. it can follow brome-grass to good ad- 

 vantage. No matter what method is practiced, the grass is likely to 

 give trouble the first season on account of its persistence, but if prop- 

 erly handled will not be a serious menace. It is necessary in the drier 

 sections to break the sod when the moisture conditions are favorable, 

 whether in fall or spring, as it is ver}' difficult to break and does not 

 rot readily. On account of the latter fact the sod requires consider- 

 able working in the sections of low rainfall. 



MISCELLANEOUS USES. 



The ago-ressive nature of brome-grass fits it for certain uses and 

 situations for which the common standard grasses are not adapted. 

 It is very valuable for putting heavy new land in condition for other 

 crops. The rich heavy soil of river bottoms. Avhich are frequently 

 covered with a dense growth of weeds and brush, mnj be put in good 

 condition by seeding heavil}^ after clearing and plowing. At the end 

 of two years the grass comes on to the exclusion of the weeds and 

 makes an excellent hay meadow. 



There are certain classes of soil that after having been plowed for 

 five or six A'ears become very loose and blow- badly and are in poor 

 mechanical condition for ordinary crops. "When B ramus hiermis is 

 PTOwn on such land for a few years it adds a sufficient amount of 



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